Five Seattle Seahawks who must impress vs. Raiders Thursday

22 Must Go

The Countdown Is On – Game 1 Is In 11 Days – September 9th, 2012

1:25PM PT – University of Phoenix Stadium

Fresh off a difficult Monday which saw the Seahawks cut 15 players, some of who will get picked up by another team, some of who just used their last chance in the NFL and some who just saw their dream of an NFL career leave them.

The remaining 75 Seahawks will take the field in Seattle on Thursday night, and for 22 football players it could be their last time.

Some of the following five players aren’t guys on the edge of saying goodbye to an NFL career, but it would help if they beat up on the Silver and Black tomorrow night.

1. Jermaine Kearse

The fan favorite and University of Washington alumni has to impress on Thursday night to earn a spot on the active roster. Key word there is active. With Phil Bates gone (he was part of the initial cuts) he is a likely candidate for the practice squad.

Though with the emergence of Charly Martin as an apparent favorite target to Russell Wilson, the receiving core is very difficult to predict.

2. Kregg Lumpkin

Kregg Lumpkin has won his first battle for a roster spot, as Tyrell Sutton got released on Monday. Neither running back are practice squad eligible, Sutton having played 9 games a year ago and Lumpkin played a full season last year in Tampa Bay.

Lumpkin needs to show his worth and make Pete Carroll and John Schneider use five roster spaces on running backs.

Allen is in tough tomorrow night competing for one of the last remaining spots on this ALL-Star defense.

Howard hasn’t impressed me nearly as much as Scruggs, McDonald nor Allen this preseason, but his high draft pick status gives him some credibility.

McDonald has been working with the ones in nickel packages and has played very consistently.

That leaves Allen in a three way fight for one roster spot.

A strong showing on Thursday would go a long way.

4. Korey Toomer

Maybe it’s the #59. Last week I wrote that Jeremy Lane was the least impressive of draft picks thus far, but he was trailed by Toomer by only a bit. Lane played admirably against the Chiefs, and now Toomer is at risk of being the lone draft pick not to make the team.

Similar to Allen, a deep position doesn’t help his case. He is battling with special team ace Matt McCoyfor the final linebacker spot.

Toomer could likely join Mark LeGree as the only Seahawk draft picks to not make the final roster in his draft year during Pete Carroll’s tenure.

5. Matt Flynn

No, Seattle is not trading Matt Flynn. No, Seattle is not releasing Matt Flynn. No, Matt Flynn is not going anywhere. But after veteran quarterback Tarvaris Jackson got dealt to Buffalo this week, Flynn is now the elder statesman in the quarterback room, with two regular season starts under his belt.

If he can show both solid play and professionalism in the final preseason game, the 12th Man will feel a lot better if Russell Wilsonstruggles early.

Plus, who doesn’t like a Seahawk beat down on the Raiders?

Preseason wraps up tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Century Link Field.

Check back to NWSportsBeat.com as the Seahawk roster takes its form ahead of the September 9th regular season opener in Arizona!